It’s been said before: The future isn’t what it used to be. In this period newsreel, we get a sneak preview of the exciting new cars of the future for 1948.

Popular Science produced short films in the 1940s and ’50s that showcased technology of the near and distant future. This short was released theatrically on May 21, 1948 and featured “Streamlined Marvels on Wheels.” The first car is the Davis three-wheeler that employs the “tri-cycle landing gear principle.” It also features built in jacks to make tire changing an “exhilarating experience.”

The second car is identified only as, “If you’re looking for a 1960 model, this may well be it!” Or not.

In the third car featured you get to go for a ride with Gordon Beurig in his Tasco prototype. Tasco is an acronym that stands for “The American Sportscar Company.” It’s based on a design by Gordon Buehrig, built of post-World War II aluminum. It was shown in Wichita in 1948 in the hope of contracting with Beech Aircraft Company for production of the aviation-inspired automobile. This model is the only one ever built and is now owned by the Cord Auburn Dusenberg Museum in Auburn, Indiana. Shown here at the Cardwell Manufacturing Company in Wichita, Kansas.